Miami – In a quiet moment before a recent game, Byung-Hyun Kim talked about his relationship with the Rockies went sour. He clashed with pitching coach Bob Apodaca in spring training. He ended up on the disabled list with a thumb injury. That led to a longer-than-necessary rehab assignment which prompted a confused Kim to change agents to Scott Boras.
In a word, Kim’s last weeks with the Rockies were “uncomfortable.” That was an apt description of Colorado’s 4-3 loss Wednesday night. Equal parts erratic and effective, Kim struck out a career-high 10, preying on the Rockies’ impatience in critical at-bats.
The Rockies failed to move to four games over .500, their high-water mark this season. They failed to make a move on division leader Arizona, which began Wednesday with a 3 1/2 game lead. All because they failed to knock Kim out when they wobbled him in the first inning.
Kim threw a startling 37 pitches – part of his 126, the most by a Marlin since Josh Beckett in 2004. Six Rockies reached, but only two scored on doubles by Kazuo Matsui and Todd Helton. Kim escaped a bases-loaded jam, inducing a broken-bat groundout from catcher Yorvit Torrealba.
The missed opportunity became amplified in the first when Josh Fogg, who grew up in nearby Fort Lauderdale, gave the lead right back. The Marlins scored a pair – per his custom Miguel Cabrera was at the epicenter on a night when he hit his team-high 26th home run.
While Kim closed the door, Fogg gave up runs in the fourth and fifth as Florida jumped to a lead. Marlins closer Kevin Gregg did his best to squander it during the ninth, providing a scare for the few thousand remaining at Dolphin Stadium.
After Garrett Atkins shaved the deficit to a run, Gregg loaded the bases with a walk to Troy Tulowitzki on his 29th pitch. That brought up Torrealba, who entered Wednesday 3-for-8 with a home run with the bases loaded. As he did with Helton and Brad Hawpe, Gregg regained his footing. He struck out Torrealba with a bouncing slider, ending the Rockies’ three-game winning streak.
Staff Writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
